Enterprises

Last updated: Monday, November 19, 2018

GFS Group Creating Sustainable Value for Community

Posted: Thursday, November 23, 2017

In 2014, the GFS Group has cooperated with the MTV Pharmacy Company of Hanoi University of Pharmacy, currently known as DK Pharma Joint Stock Company, to develop the pharmaceutical areas and help reduce poverty in the districts 30a of Ha Giang province. With the cooperation of leading experts with the support from the local authorities and people, the GFS has been actively contributing to the community's values, step by step making Ha Giang a national key area on medicinal plants and Vietnam a world herb medical garden.

Desires of the mountainous areaHa Giang province has favourable conditions for terrain, soil and climate to develop medicinal herbs so long as this land is seen as a giant natural medicine garden. According to survey data, there are 1,100 species of medicinal plants in the province, widely distributed in areas with elevations of 1,000-1,600m above sea level, some of which are valuable medicinal species. Ha Giang Party Secretary Mr Trieu Tai Vinh, who is devoted to the agricultural sector of the province shared that in Ha Giang, people plant medicinal plants like the ways the farmer of the delta province grow their rice. This makes use of the natural and favourable conditions of the province. To tap the potentials, the people of the plateau need to get rid of poverty, which is always a big problem of the authorities. Under the Ha Giang province's Medicinal Plant Development Program in the period of 2012 to 2020, the poor districts of the 30a Program will contribute to accelerating the hunger elimination and poverty alleviation process for ethnic minorities.

The project on planting medicinal plants in association with hunger elimination and poverty alleviation which is implemented in 6 districts of the 30a Program including Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, Dong Van, Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man was approved by the Government (Document 2715/VPCP-KGVX dated 04/05/2014 of the Government Office). The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has appraised 12,581 hectares of land, of which 5.180 hectares are newly planted with a total capital of VND 2.932 million. The funds come from the Government budget, companies, and farmer households. It can be said that the establishment of the project is considered the right direction for Ha Giang to carry out the improvement of people's lives, building new countryside. The development of pharmaceutical materials will also be approved by the Ha Giang Provincial Party Committee in the term of 2015 - 2020. The plan will focus on two areas (together with tourism) to promote the province's economic development sustainably.

Ha Giang province has stepped up the project to promote the investment in developing the province's medicinal area. The eagerness of the provincial committees and the sincerity of ethnic minorities here, many businesses have attracted many investors and make Ha Giang a medicinal centre of Vietnam. The GFS is one of many investors that signed a cooperation agreement with the Ha Giang People's Committee to develop project of the "Development of pharmaceuticals associated with poverty reduction in 6 districts" on 18/9/2014, in Hanoi. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister (now Prime Minister) Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed, the development of pharmaceuticals in Ha Giang not only improves the lives of people, and benefit the enterprises, but also recognize the efforts of the physicians on improving the health care workers people. Mr Pham Thanh Cong, Chairman of GFS Group said that the GFS is interested in developing the pharmaceutical industry, with the expectation of promoting Vietnam's to be a world pharmaceutical garden. We expect the project will contribute to awakening the potential in remote rural areas and benefiting businesses and farmers.

Making Ha Giang a key area of pharmaceuticals20 years after establishment, the GFS is a large holding corporation with more than 10 subsidiaries specialized in financial investment, real estate investment, infrastructure construction, trade in services, energy, minerals, technology transfer and agricultural development. Over the past few years, the GFS has contributed VND hundreds of billions to the economy, created jobs for thousands of employees and received many awards from the government and ministries. Currently, the GFS is implementing key investment projects such as the Five Star Garden project, the Five Star My Dinh Urban Area, the GFS Technology Institute with many state-level research projects, the fertilizer plant in Kien Bai commune- Thuy Nguyen district, Hai Phong, the Song Am hydroelectric at Lang Chanh district, Thanh Hoa province.In 2014, the GFS partnered with the DK Pharma to join the drug development co-operative in Quan Ba, Ha Giang to implement the Drug Development Project to help alleviate the poverty under the 30a Program in Ha Giang. This shows a strong attraction of Ha Giang in the field of pharmaceuticals.

With a focus on sustainable development and poverty reduction in Ha Giang, the GFS has invested billions VND in the fields of cultivation, production and processing of medicinal herbs in Quan Ba district for the development of the central province and the high technology application in Phong Quang, Vi Xuyen district. Some specific products on the market such as Artichoke tea, high purifier of Artichoke, and white orchids prove the effectiveness of the business model. The medicinal plants are grown the central area of 6 districts. The plantation and conservation of over 12,600 hectares, including 7,400 existing hectares and new 5,200 hectares for plants under the GACP and GCP. The company establishes a pharmaceutical value chain including over 15,000 households, enterprises, cooperatives, state management agencies and scientists and a centre for preservation and development of pharmaceutical materials. Besides, the company is conducting studies and applying technological chains to ensure that production and business activities are up to standard, stability and competitiveness.

The Cooperative Community of Nam Dam, Quan Ba district is one of 5 cooperatives supported by the GFS and the DK Pharma to participate in the plantation of medicinal plants from 2012 to 2015. The results of testing the medicinal plants in 2014 are good. The Atiso trees for income are estimated at about 8- 9 million VND per 1,000 m2. Since October, 2014, with the technical support of the DK Pharma, the GFS has been committed to experimenting 1.5 hectares of ashweed and wild celery by direct planting method, using nylon cover to moisturise the growing beds. Although skipping the nursery stage, the company has got the germination rate of above 90 per cent, and at the same time bravely planted and received 3 hectares of artichoke. According to Mr Ly Ta Den, the President of the Medical Cooperative of Nam Da, the co-operative is trying to standardize the cultivation and collection of medicinal herbs in accordance with the GACP standards, actively buying and consuming the pharmaceutical products. And this helps increase the income and reduce the poverty for local people.

Mr Pham Thanh Cong, President of GFS Group, highlighted that the GFS's business motto is to "create the products that customers want". Therefore, the GFS has been doing intensive research to meet the market demand of Hanoi and Northern provinces for clean, high-quality, organic products with an application of high technology. At Quan Ba, Ha Giang, the GFS Group has been helping the district to set up a cooperative model of pharmaceutical production in the communes in the form of that the companies will provide technical support and contribute capital to the cooperatives for growing and processing the medicinal herbs. The company will use the pharmaceutical strength to promote the pharmaceutical industry and pharmaceutical industry to become key economic and technical sectors, provide good medicine to public and prosper the local economy, leading to the poverty reduction.

Up to now, despite many difficulties, the development of pharmaceuticals of the GFS has created an important premise for Ha Giang to become a national key pharmaceutical province. The GFS continues to invest in the project and expand its scale in Ha Giang province as well as in other provinces. With a clear and long-term development orientation, the GFS expects the project to contribute to awakening the potential in the remote rural areas, benefiting the businesses and farmers, and creating sustainable outcomes for the community.